MakerBot, a global leader in the desktop 3D printing industry, and Florida Polytechnic University, just announced the opening of a MakerBot Innovation Center which Florida Poly is calling a Rapid Application Development (RAD) Makerspace. This is the largest MakerBot Innovation Center in the nation with more than 55 MakerBot 3D Printers and Scanners. (Photo: Business Wire)

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MakerBot, a global leader in the desktop 3D printing industry, and Florida Polytechnic University, just announced the opening of a MakerBot Innovation Center which Florida Poly is calling a Rapid Application Development (RAD) Makerspace. This is the largest MakerBot Innovation Center in the nation with more than 55 MakerBot 3D Printers and Scanners. (Photo: Business Wire)

BROOKLYN, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new era of innovation is coming to central Florida, and it is also an
era of education, technology and entrepreneurship. MakerBot, a
global leader in desktop 3D printing, is very proud to become an
industry partner of Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland,
Florida, and to be part of its grand opening. As an industry partner of
the University, MakerBot will have the opportunity to help shape the
next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. MakerBot will also be
delivering its MakerBot® Innovation
Center to help Florida Poly build a Rapid Application
Development (RAD) Makerspace that will empower students and faculty
to innovate with more than 55 MakerBot 3D Printers and Scanners.

Florida Poly is the 12th and newest member of the State
University System of Florida and the only one dedicated exclusively to
science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). It has been
designed to be a hub of innovation, focusing on the core STEM
disciplines of Engineering, Big Data Analytics and Computer Science,
which the university sees as key to economic growth and prosperity in
Florida and the nation. Florida Poly’s integrated STEM curriculum is a
key feature attracting potential students and partners. As part of this
commitment to innovation, the RAD Makerspace with MakerBot 3D Printers
and Scanners will be the largest MakerBot Innovation Center in the
nation and will house more MakerBot Replicator® 3D Printers and MakerBot
Digitizer™ Desktop 3D Scanners than any other university in the country.

Florida Poly will hold its grand opening LAUNCH Celebration on Saturday,
August 16, welcoming students, parents, business partners and community
members to tour the campus and its innovation labs including the RAD
Makerspace.

The RAD Makerspace is housed in Florida Poly’s Innovation, Science and
Technology Building, designed by world-renowned architect, engineer and
polytechnic graduate, Dr. Santiago Calatrava. The 162,000 square-foot
elliptical and space age looking structure serves as the primary
classroom building and is also the epicenter for technology and
innovation on campus. Its state-of-the-art labs equipped with the latest
technology help make it an inspiring learning space. MakerBot is
thrilled to be part of the university’s legacy of stimulating creativity
and entrepreneurship through innovation.

“Having a RAD Makerspace on campus is providing the students, who will
shape the future, with the technology they need to succeed today,” said
Tom Hull, Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Florida
Polytechnic. “3D printing has many possible applications in various
fields, and our RAD Makerspace will inspire students as they explore,
discover, innovate and create. Florida Poly encourages research
applicable to the real world, and 3D printing is at the center of the
product iteration and technological innovation process. We are hoping
that students will be attracted to Florida Poly in part because of our
RAD Makerspace along with our modern, integrated curriculum.”

Florida Polytechnic University will welcome its inaugural class of 500
students this August and stands apart from other universities in many
ways, from its cutting-edge architecture to its emphasis on
industry-inspired courses and projects. Not only will the university
provide students with access to the RAD Makerspace, its integrated,
innovation-focused STEM curriculum will encourage students to experiment
with the MakerBot Desktop 3D Printers and Scanners. The goal is to
create an environment that fosters and stimulates innovation and
entrepreneurship. MakerBot is excited to be part of this distinctive
university’s beginnings and to witness the technological progress,
learning and innovation that Florida Poly students are expected to
generate.

As part of the MakerBot Innovation Center program in the Florida Poly
RAD Makerspace, MakerBot will provide the university community with
in-depth training on MakerBot 3D Printers and Scanners, as well as
assist with curriculum development. The space will house an array of
MakerBot products to suit almost every area of prototyping and design
needs, and includes 40 MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printers, five
MakerBot Replicator Mini Compact 3D Printers, five MakerBot Replicator
Z18 3D Printers, five MakerBot Replicator 2X Experimental 3D Printers
and five MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanners.

“It’s so exciting to see an educational institution rethink the learning
and innovation process and embrace technology that will, we believe,
truly turn the students of today into the entrepreneurs and business
leaders of tomorrow,” noted Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot and a former
teacher. “With its near-infinite possibilities, Florida Poly’s RAD
Makerspace will help create the model of what a university should offer
to prospective students. A MakerBot Innovation Center or Makerspace such
as this one, with every tool imaginable, will change the way students
think about the world. I can’t wait to see what the Florida Poly
students make.”

The RAD Makerspace created from a MakerBot Innovation Center will not
only facilitate innovation and creation on campus, but Florida Poly
hopes to extend their enthusiasm into the community with Maker Faires,
inter-collegiate 3D printing events, guest lectures and open-community
forums. As the largest MakerBot Innovation Center in the country, the
RAD Makerspace aims to inspire, invigorate and innovate.

MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys
Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS), is leading the Next Industrial Revolution by
setting the standards in reliable and affordable desktop 3D printing.
Founded in 2009, MakerBot sells desktop 3D printers to innovative and
industry-leading customers worldwide, including engineers, architects,
designers, educators and consumers. To learn more about MakerBot, visit makerbot.com.

About Florida Polytechnic University

The mission of Florida Polytechnic University is to prepare 21st century
learners in advanced fields of science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) to become innovative problem-solvers and high-tech
professionals through interdisciplinary teaching, leading-edge research,
and collaborative local, regional and global partnerships.